PHILADELPHIA – For Malcolm Jenkins, the process of learning the Eagles’ defense began with his notebook, which he would carry with him to every meeting during offseason workouts in April, furiously jotting everything down.

Then he’d go home and rewrite his notes. He’d sort them into categories based on formations, coverages, blitzes and so on.

“When you’re in a meeting, you don’t really have time,” Jenkins said. “You might write everything really quickly. Sometimes it’s unorganized. The way I learn is by writing it down. So I’ll go home and rewrite my notes and organize them into however it is I need to section them off. So when I do go back, I know where to look to find things.”

That’s how Jenkins, a safety, became the Eagles’ so-called quarterback of the secondary just weeks after the team had signed him as a free agent from the New Orleans Saints.

Jenkins study habits were hardly a surprise to Eagles coach Chip Kelly. Kelly was questioned somewhat for going after Jenkins in free agency when safeties with better reputations were available, such as Jairus Byrd and T.J. Ward, both of whom Kelly coached at the University of Oregon.

“He had the specific skill set that we were looking for,” Kelly said. “So he was the No. 1 guy we were looking for in free agency.”

Sure, Byrd has 22 interceptions in five seasons compared to just six for Jenkins. And Ward is known as a better run-stopping safety. But the Eagles signed Jenkins to a three-year deal worth $16.5 million because he can handle both pass and rush roles, something that’s crucial in the scheme of defensive coordinator Bill Davis.

And the Eagles desperately need Jenkins to shore up a position that has been mostly in shambles since Brian Dawkins left after the 2008 season. The Eagles ranked last in the NFL last season defending the pass, allowing an average of 289.8 yards per game.

“It’s just about making the calls and eliminating the dumb mistakes to where you [don’t allow] big plays or blown coverages,” Jenkins said. “That’s where I come in, as far as knowing the defense, making the right calls, and getting everybody lined up so then we can go play fast.”

On the field, that’s a work in progress. Off the field, Jenkins has already impressed his coaches and teammates with his knowledge. That’s especially true for safety Earl Wolff, who’s beginning his second season.

“Before Malcolm got here, I felt like I had some pretty good knowledge at safety,” Wolff said. “Once he came, he’s been teaching me the small things, like where to put my eyes at a certain place, certain formations and what we’re going to get out of this [wide receiver] route. He’s teaching me the little things that will make me a better player.”

Jenkins is determined to make sure that happens. Wolff is competing with veteran Nate Allen for the other safety spot.

“He has really made it this far off of raw talent,” Jenkins said. “The next part is to really teach him football and the concepts that every offense uses, how to see them, how to study and take notes. It’s those things that he’s learning now.”

Jenkins learned that when he was at Ohio State when he first began taking notes, then rewriting them at night. It’s a system he refined in New Orleans after learning from veterans like Roman Harper and Darren Sharper.

And it’s a system that he’s sharing with Wolff and some of the other young players.

“Right now, I have a really good grasp on what the book tells us to do,” Jenkins said. “For this formation, we’re playing this coverage, and this formation, it’s this coverage. So now, it’s really how I’m going to match this coverage to these routes, and how am I going to put myself in a position to make a play.”